A Most Unlikely Pair
by HokageAkamaru
Summary: Prince Marth is deeply in love with Link, and the blonde feels the same. But something is preventing these two from becoming lovers. What ever could this mysterious force be? MarthXLink IkeXPit For Nanae-sama
1. A Miserable Confession

Title: A Most Unlikely Pair

Pairing(s): **MarthXLink, IkeXPit**

Rating: M

**A/N: **-whips out fan and fans herself-

_Ho ho!_

I come to present to you a fanfic dedicated to one of my most-treasured friends **NanaeTsuki**-sama!

And to show my appreciation to her and her amazing artistic talent, I've decided upon writing her a fanfic of her choice. MarthXLink is a rare couple—and I have a passion for rare couples in anything that I read—and I've strangely grown into liking it. So expect more MarthXLinkness in the future.

Gomen for any mistakes and what not... I have a killer headache and I need to study for an exam if I plan on passing Biology—_which I do, by the way._

"**A Most Unlikely Pair**" by the one and only HokageAkamaru.

Shall we start?

_Un deux trois quatre._

* * *

I did not intend on falling this... this deeply in love with him. I did not intend to become so friendly with him, to make him take me into his arms and embrace me however many times he's done in the past and present.

Perhaps mentally I didn't, but I suppose my heart—which has a mind of its own—had other intentions it wanted to comply to.

I was not prepared for them.

And so mindlessly did I stumble into this sticky situation, and now what am I to do?

He's all I ever think about.

Night and day.

Sunset to sunrise.

His golden, gravity-defying hair, his... his vibrant, stimulating blue eyes that trembles my soul, for only they are strong enough to see my true ambitions... And his ears... I've fallen in love with his ears, too. They define him in a way.

I strongly admire his courage, his intelligence, his masculine grace... and overall, that shining, inner beauty that gives Rigel (1) a fair reason to be spiteful. He's my close friend, the one I turn to for advice, for fellowship, and ultimately... for consoling.

Even after the few years that have wasted away, the pain created by them still remains at bay within my heart. The many good comrades that I've lost due to battle... The men and women who have willingly given their lives for my personal goal, and my late family members... the boiling feelings unpredictably come rushing back to haunt me.

I have meltdowns and I become very irritable... On some days, I will conceal myself in my dorm room, refusing to converse with anyone. _Sulking_... drowning aimlessly in my own hopelessness. Nights are long... lonely and dark. Just like the beating organ locked away in my ribs. There is no such thing as the sun. Or light.

Only darkness.

Darkness... evil... and pain. But all it takes for the pessimistic spirits to retreat from my body is the gentle, cleansing touch of my blonde-haired angel Link.

It can be a simple smile, a goofy laugh, a... a wink of his lashes, a touch of his soft cheek... and all would be well. Only he is able to soothe me like that...

He's unlike any other that I've come across in my years of existence.

And over the two-and-a-half years that we've known each other, I feel that our bond has grown stronger...

...I both feared and anticipated this.

Getting this intimate with him was a foreseeable tragedy in the making. Because, in the end, all it will bring me is heartache.

Regret.

And I do not wish to add another person to my list of whom I've lost. Especially one... that I feel... holds my heart and all its entirety in his sweet, loving hands.

Now I am not a man to lie. So in all honesty... I truly, truly am passionately in love with him. So in love that its tearing me up from the inside out.

Like a parasite.

Yes—that's exactly what love is—a parasite.

_Prince Marth Lowell_

* * *

I gawked at him for what felt like a blissful eternity the second we met. And in between that endless span of time, I could feel my heart spring to life.

That presaged what was to become of us.

At that instant—the very second our eyes locked—our distant futures were somehow linked. I did not, at that particular stage, know how we were connected... Would it be by friendship? What was our bond composed of? What was the material of the thread that intertwined our fates? I do not have the answers to all of these questions presently, but... I do know that I love him.

And somewhere in the hopeful regions of my heart, I do believe that... that he feels the same. Only the gods know how much I pine to become closer to him, to become something more...

To be known proudly as his _lover_.

_Here..._ and as well as everywhere else.

_Link _

* * *

**A Most-Unlikely Pair**

Link—after many hours of contemplation—unanimously decided upon taking on the role of the initiative. Although he'd be much, much more comfortable with the prince asking him to be his lover, he grew weary of wading around in a river of uncertainty where absolutely nothing happened.

They'd known each other for almost _two_ years...

Hanging out together... Watching the moon rise above the horizon to claim the night sky together... and later on down their long, winding road of companionship, Prince Marth felt that their relationship was safe enough to share his feelings and thoughts... So he steadily opened up to his blonde friend about the many demons that pestered him to no end.

He felt... alive when around him, when held securely in his arms like a lost, broken child. Link was like a holy light—an angel, if you will, sent from the heavens especially for a corrupted person like himself—that drove out all of the negative entitles that poisoned his brain. His feathery, sweet voice ministered words of encouragement and empowerment to strengthen him, to build him up... And that was when Marth's watery, baby-blue hues not only noticed the physical beauty of his best friend, but the characteristics of his soul as well. His compassionate spirit, his abundant supply of empathy for the hurting ones around him...

Honestly, all he lacked were two, white wings!

It was unintended in the beginning, but the prince couldn't resist the charm, the grace, the pure heart of the golden-haired one and his irresistible smile. When he came to the realization of his blossoming and cancerous love for the archer, though, his mind told him to stop. Stop now, as things would get too serious, and a serious relationship was far from what _he_ wanted.

...Or was it, exactly?

Did he truthfully yearn to share such amorous sensations with the one that he wanted to give his all to? Or did his fear of departing overshadow his true wants and needs?

That common phobia of his is what's permitting him to give the being that he knew craved the love from him his heart... the very common phobia that built a barrier, a boundary—whatever you would like to call it—that he was far too afraid of stepping over.

But everyday that thin, white line stared him dead in the face.

He could visualize in his mind Link standing far on the other side of it with his glistening, white wings, extending an arm to him... Telling him, assuring him, _pleading_ to him that it would be alright... that he would be responsible of making everything sound again if anything were to ever go wrong. But Marth—the unseen, deceptive demons resting their lips near his ears as they crowded his cranium with plausible lies—did not want to take that risk.

It's not that Prince Marth did not take his word—he believed every, little thing that the flapping, pink organ in his mouth birthed—but, again, he was afraid what was to become of it... their relationship. Well... the end of it, anyway. And he had a logical reason to be.

Way before Link had ever known such a beautiful being existed on the face of the Earth, Prince Marth had gone through many tragedies and courageously faced many hardships. Every day was a struggle to stay alive for he and his tight band of brave, willing souls who wholly volunteered to risk their lives for Marth's dream. Sadly as a result, some of these good friends lost their lives... And a few of those friends the prince had had close, personal relationships with, and losing that special bond never ceased to depress him whenever that unmistakable angel of death loomed over their corpses.

A rather traumatizing event for any human being.

Now try having that happen to you as many times as you can count. It'd practically make anyone a little standoffish about creating a unique tie with a person you'd probably only know for a few days... maybe even_ hours_.

It would make one... heartless.

Emotionless. And in similar cases... lonely. Anticipating the next death of a fellow comrade was always fresh on the mind of the young prince until it would physically and emotionally drain him. He carried that same isolating notion into the Super Smash Brothers mansion... He created light acquaintances with the residents that dwelled there, distancing his true, friendlier self from them, for he would be returning to his friends to resume his agonizing conquest. But Link was the only one out of the thirty-five to take the time to whisk away the protective, veiling mist that the prince used to shroud himself, and get to really know him as a person... and much more.

But that was all the noble was able to be to him... a person... a _friend_.

Nothing more... and nothing less.

And this was the one and only revelation that Prince Marth could not and absolutely _would not_ lie on Link's burden-less shoulders.

That is... until now.

**AM-UP**

_Voila! _

Link completed adding the finishing touches to his poem with a cry of triumph. After hours and hours of previous modifications, he'd finally produced an exceptionally-sappy love poem that he was actually proud of! But it was definitely worth the gallons of sweat and the unattractive blisters on his fingers... Marth had a good eye for literature, and the blonde proclaimed himself a poet. He felt that he harnessed some sort of an inner writer's spirit, if you call filling a three-subject notebook with nothing but poems in less than a month just that.

And of course, all of those poems orbited around a special,_ special_ someone.

Link was really sensitive about other's critiques of his work, so he kept most of his private collections to himself—and on top of that, some of his poems were... _let's say_... for his eyes only. His more explicit poems—or more like stories—were securely folded away in a black, leather-bound notebook. And that was sealed in a secret compartment that only he knew the whereabouts of.

But never mind that, he was more focused on getting his beautifully-written poem into the prince's soft hands before midnight, his usual turn-in time.

The Hylian proofread the lyric piece held out in front of him until his eyes burned, a smile itching at his lips. It wasn't a very subtle poem... It told whoever it was to be given to his exact wants, needs and feelings written in black, glossy ink on a fine sheet of fancy stationery...

_I did my best on this... I... I hope he likes it._

And, as usual, that's when he began to doubt himself.

_Well... what if I'm taking this too far? I... What if he really doesn't like me? What if I've been misinterpreting his motives and gestures—?_

"_Liiiiiink!_" shrilled a flowery voice from behind. The blonde nearly jumped out of his red pajamas in one fluid move! The mysterious person continued to sing his name aloud, surely waking at least three or four, now angered Smashers. He stumbled over to his door before placing his precious piece of paper on his little desk. The barrier was opened, a great chill fluttering all the papers suspending from his boards.

Who was the disruptor of his hopeless thoughts?

Why, none other than the little, curious angel Pit, clothed in drooping, blue polka-dotted PJs that were a tad bit large for his petite figure—they could probably fit Link. They were a gift from his boyfriend Ike, so he wore them in spite of this...

A glittering duo of purple irises—obviously lacking any signs of being the least bit sleepy—greeted Link under the doorway.

_Pit?!_

"Link!_ Fantastic_, you're awake! Are you done with the poem yet?! _Can I read it, can I read it?!_"

"Absolutely not! And keep it down, will ya?! People are trying to sleep!"

Pit—joined with the rest of the mansion—knew about Link, Marth and their _dreadfully-apparent _crushes on one another. He was motivated not to miss out on the beginnings of this lovely couple whom everyone—excluding those like Ganondorf and Wolf, who could care the least—wished would finally tie the knot. But it wasn't that simple.

Link re-entered his dorm, the disheartened cupid trotting along his right side.

"Why?!" he pestered, "I wanna read it!"

"No! It's none of your business. An' aren't you supposed to be in bed?! It's nearly midnight!"

"But... but you said I could see it. You _said_ so, Link..." the young angel pouted... the pout that won over the mercenary's heart.

But it didn't win over everyone's.

Link took one glance at his lips and chuckled.

"Ha... sorry buddy, but that has zero effect on me. Just scram."

Pit's then adorable pout turned into a much angrier one.

"_Hey!_ You'd better be nice to me! Or I'll tell Ike on you!"

"_Pssh_..." the Hylian grabbed his poem as he simpered, "I'm not scared of Ike."

"Oh... _Are you, now?_"

Link stopped.

That last utterance from the angel caused the brain of the blonde to flashback to one of his recent memories. He'd accidentally injured one of the little brunet's wings during a tournament, and Ike's sharp—_twitching_—sapphire eyes had given him such a poisonous glare, he couldn't bring himself to look at the man for about a _month_. He was highly protective of his little one overall, and would pummel anyone into a bloody pulp according to the angel's bidding.

So what if Pit told him of this fixable dilemma?

Link would rather not have that answered...

"Heh_... Actually_, Pit... I needed someone to proofread this. It's fortunate that you've come along!"

Pit smirked victoriously, retrieving the paper from hand, "I thought so." He made himself comfortable and plopped his body onto the Hylian's bed and began reading. Link took a seat in his obsidian desk chair, nervously awaiting the boy's feedback...

And it wasn't long before he got it.

"_Awwwwww! _Link! This is so sweet!!"

"You really think so? It's not too sappy?"

The brunet's painfully-gigantic smile glowed as he hopped around the bed with the poem in his claws, "No! It's perfect, perfect, perfect!"

"_HEY!_ Careful!! Do you know how many times I've had to rewrite that?! And that's my last sheet of stationery!"

_My gods... What does this boy eat that gives him this energy?_

The angel stopped jumping once the sheet had been snatched out of his grasp. Luckily, it did not rip.

"_Oops_. Sorry... But yes. It is a beautiful poem. Marth will love it, I'm sure."

Link apprehensively asked, hunching forward, "Do you think... Prince Marth... _really_ likes me...?"

"'Likes you'?! He's _in love_ with you, silly!"

"But if he was so _in love_ with me, he would've asked me to be his lover _ages_ ago. Maybe... Maybe I'm misconstruing this entire situation..."

...No.

No, no, no... Pit _hated_ when Link got to talking pessimistically like this. What was wrong with him?! Couldn't he feel the prince's love for him when they embraced? Couldn't he taste it in the air? Couldn't he see it whenever the prince gallantly took a hit for him on the battle field?! It was there—everyone could see it!

But why couldn't Link?

"Link!!" What are you talking about?!" fiercely inquired the angel. He gently grasped his friend's free hand, led him onto the mattress, the both of them taking seats.

"Prince Marth... is _undoubtedly_ in love with you, Link. I honestly think that it's pathetic that you two have known each other for so long and haven't taken your relationship any further! I mean—_you're practically friends with benefits!_ There are signs of his love for you; you can see them! I know you can! He trusts you and _only_ you with his feelings—"

"—That's because I don't go blabbing personal things aloud like some of the others," Link excused.

"_...Well he... he... _His eyes sparkle in your presence—!"

"—He's only happy to see me. That doesn't necessarily_ mean_ anything..."

"But all he talks about is you and how much of an amazing person you are! And how much you care for him and how lucky he is to have a person like you by his side!"

"And _that's_ because we're best friends—"

Pit backhanded him on his golden head.

"_Ow!_"

"Stop interrupting me and making those excuses!"

"But they're true! They don't _mean _anything—!"

"—They'll _never_ mean anything with _that_ attitude!"

Link took those words to heart...

"...Did it ever come across your mind that maybe he's a little scared? Remember how I had to ask Ike to be my lover? He'd always felt the same way about me—we both loved each other. He was just a little bashful... _which I think is extremely cute coming from a person like him_. He's probably waiting for _you_ to pop the question... for you to take a hold of those reigns! And by reading that poem, I presume you're going to confess to him tonight?"

The Hylian—soothing his massive bump on his noggin—nodded in confirmation.

"Yes... I would hope so."

"So tell him how you feel. Just be sincere and everything will be just fine! What could possibly go wrong?"

And now that he thought of it... what could possibly go wrong? As Pit mentioned before, the two of them practically had a relationship, or they showed early, relevant signs of the beginning of one. If the angel's claims about the lustrous eyes and the trust issue were true, then Prince Marth must've harbored some feelings for him...

...Right?

Link unfolded his poem, thoroughly looked over its every stanza, word and letter, grinning with radiance.

"Alright... _I'm gonna_... I'm gonna do it."

Pit slapped him powerfully on his back—knocking the wind out of this Hylian buddy, "Well! What are you waiting for?! It's almost midnight! Onward to the prince's dorm you go! He eagerly awaits his _green-clothed knight!_"

The dark-haired angel impatiently whisked Link out of his own dorm, blessing him with nothing but good fortune and wishes as he jogged down the corridors...

...all the while waking about five or six grouchy Smashers with his voice.

**AM-UP**

Prince Marth looked to the round, silver bowl in the infinite sky, his tender eyes finding comfort in its heavenly, covenanting beams of light. Could this be the very reason for his insomnia?

No... that could not be it. The light did not really bother him.

What really bothered him, though, was the relationship matter between him and Link. The situation gnawed at his brain stem like a little, peevish rodent, brewing many a thoughts that denied him the simple gratification of sleep.

_Sleep_... it seemed like a luxury to him.

To close your eyes and have a decent dream for a change—or no dream at all—appeared impossible for the young noble.

It would be for anyone who struggled with a predicament such as the one he had. This was one battle that he knew he would not win. He'd lost this raging war, but nevertheless, he would not go out without a bang. And that "bang" was closer than it appeared. He assumed that the only way to prevent this from happening was to isolate himself from the blonde. But he knew and his _heart_ knew that he was not capable of withstanding the side effects of going without hearing his angel's sweet voice, or seeing his face, or feeling his exhilarating touch.

The prince dragged his hand through his well-kept locks.

_Why? Why, why, why won't this feeling leave me? No matter what I do, how hard I try, it will not subside!!_

A shuffling of the feet could be heard from the main hall.

Prince Marth rose from his bed.

_Who could be up at a time such as this?_

There was a soft rap at his door.

"Oh! Um—_Come in!_" called the noble.

At that command, his wooden door slowly eased open, the dimmed light from the hallway spilling into his room. A short, shapely silhouette with pointed appendages stood erect, peeking into his room.

_Link? _

"..._Marth?_" peeped the figure politely, closing the door behind him. The Hylian stepped consciously into the pale moonlight, which illuminated his lovely countenance. He hid the poem behind his back.

Link saw that the prince was already tucked in his thick covers and dressed in his pajamas. He thought that he had interfered with his rest—and he knew better than anyone that that man needed all the sleep he could possibly obtain. He felt a little guilty and uncomfortable for this.

The blonde neighbored his full-sized bed, looking to his bare toes.

"Ohh... were you sleeping? I'm sorry to have disturbed you—_I-I'll come back later_—"

"—No! _No, no!_ I was just lying in bed—awake! I wasn't asleep."

"Oh... okay."

Link sighed with a grateful smile; Marth had to swallow his heart.

"Ah! _Forgive me_—Sit! _Sit, sit!_"

Marth shoved the pillow to the left of him aside, his hand slapping the newly-made spot that rest close to him.

Really close.

Link's mantled cheeks could bake two, raw eggs. He crawled easily onto his bed with a soft, "Thank you".

"No problem. The pleasure is all mine."

Link snickered, a small laugh as pure as an angel's.

_And this is why my heart will not stop aching for you. _

The duo marinated in an eerie silence for quite a while before the pair leapt into conversations involving miscellaneous topics: Today's and yesterday's matches, the small blemish on the monarch's shoulder, how Link's poems were coming along...

...Random topics.

"Come to think of it, I haven't read any of your poems in a good while."

Link's blush returned.

"_Ehh_... they're... they're not worth reading."

_Most of them are about you, anyway._

"Anything you write is worth reading, Link. The writing technique that you use... it's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it."

"Wow. Th-Thanks, Marth."

The noble granted his friend the privilege of seeing his beautiful, princely smile, Link's own eyeballs having a difficult time tearing themselves off his lips. He clutched tighter onto the paper behind his back. The poems of the blonde's that Marth's read were those of nature and its beauty... some of his older works. But now, all of them were centered around his object of affection...

"_So uh_..." Link bowed his head, "_You know_... Pit and Ike's anniversary is next month."

Marth gasped at this news.

"Ah, yes! A year, right?"

"Yeah... a year. A love that strong for a year... Heh, Pit's already talking about getting _married_."

"_Married?!_"

"He's probably bluffing—although you can never really tell with Pit—but it's the thought that counts. I'm happy for them... _It must be nice to be with someone you love_."

The Hylian shyly bat his lashes in his crush's direction. Prince Marth slightly lowered his head in guilt. Link was hinting around again.

And so he automatically knew where he was going with this one.

_Link... spare yourself of this pain. It saddens me watching you struggle like this. How can you continue to love me when all I ever bring you is dissatisfaction? Unhappiness? What attracts you to me so? What about me catches your liking? I am certainly nothing special. _

"...Marth?"

"Y-Yes?"

The trembling, blonde man held treacherously onto his poem.

"I... I have something to confess to you."

The taller individual swallowed softly.

"Oh... _eh_, really?"

"..._Yeah_."

Link's hopeful, gleaming orbs poked every inch of his crush's glowing skin, trying to decode the peculiar emotion littered about his face, but the prince couldn't bring himself to meet those big, round eyes...

Link exhaled so heavily it roughly hurt to breathe in.

_Here I go... the moment of truth._

"Marth... obviously there's a reason why I've come tonight. And that is to... is to get something off my chest that I've been carrying around for... _since the moment..._ that I've met you, basically. I-I'm not going to keep you up all night with his. So um... _to_... to simply put this...

_I..._

_I really, really like you_. I _like_ you, Marth. _I like you a lot_. _Very much._ _Um_... I-I know we're best friends and all, but... _I can't help it._ _You're a wonderful person an'... an' you're nice... an' funny... an' beautiful an'... yeah._"

Such sweet, sweet words that the young prince both yearned and feared caused an unfamiliar pain like any other to surface within his breasts. This was the exact pain that he tried to avoid feeling... but as we all know, love was the victor of that battle.

"_Oh_—and um... I've always wondered if you felt the same way... _about me_."

Link slowly looked to the man he loved with glimmering eyes and a notable smile. The prince despised himself, for he was going to be the one slapping that beautiful grin from his voluptuous lips, and he was going to be the one that caused the glitter in his eyes to liquefy and run down his lovely cheeks.

He didn't want to do it—and he really didn't have to—but he felt like it was something that had to be done.

It took him a few minutes, but the prince had finally readied himself.

He readied himself... to break Link's heart.

"_Link_... you are a wonderful, _spectacular_ person. I both treasure and value you as a close friend... but—"

The smile on the archer's lips faded...

_I knew it._

"—I'm afraid that I am unable of being anything more than your friend... _I am sorry._"

The veins of Link's heart snapped at the sincere apology, the organ fumbling to the bottom of his right foot.

_I knew he didn't like me._

_I knew it, I knew it._

_Stupid. I am so stupid._

Marth peered to the left of him at the silent, bent figure, wanting to embrace him and extract all the mixed emotions and the pain that he himself caused from his cold body.

_I love you, Link. So, so much..._

"_Oh... _well... um..."

"I hope just being friends is sufficient," the prince kindly stated, setting a soft hand onto his comrade's shoulder.

It was cold to the touch, according to the Hylian.

_...I don't want to lose our friendship._

"Yeah... we can... be friends," Link responded, but in truth—and even presently—he wanted to be as far away from the prince as possible...

...He wanted to leave.

"I'm sorry for disrupting you with this. I'll leave you be."

And before Marth could deliver another word, the blonde archer leaped off the bed and made a break for the door.

_I should have never come here...!_

"_L-Link!_"

The monarch reached desperately for the man he called for.

_No! Do not leave!_

But—as expected—he did not come back. Perhaps Prince Marth did not yell loud enough? Or maybe Link was too heartbroken... maybe he hated him, now.

Maybe... maybe he never wanted to see his face ever again.

Marth lowered his grasping hand, his eyelids drooping...

_Oh, Link... I am so sorry. _

_Breaking your heart because of my insecurities, just because I want to save myself from feeling pain. Instead of being true to you... instead of being true to my feelings._

_How cowardly and vile do I feel. And if I cannot be true to you now, how will i ever be true to you in a relationship? Feelings are powerful forces shrouded in mystery, hence the love that I hold for you. But they are not as mighty as feelings of anxiety and fear..._

The weary prince sank miserably into his warm linens, his back turned against the moonlight.

_A coward like me does not deserve such a special person like you, Link. You are one of a kind, and you deserve someone just as unique... someone that will not boldly tell you any lies. Someone that can look you in the whites of your beauteous, blue eyes and share all of his dreams with you... I hope you will find a person like that. _

_Because that person is not me..._

The lone swordsman settled his arms underneath his pillow, when suddenly, something sharp pricked his pinky.

"_Ouch!_"

He sprang up, inspecting his finger.

_Aww... a paper cut._

But what could have caused it? He sat up, peeled away his pillow and found a neatly-folded sheet of paper.

_Link left a paper here? Though I did not see him with a paper when he entered my dorm._

The prince delicately picked up the paper as if afraid that he'd receive yet another cut. "_For Marth..._" read the fancy text. Link had extraordinary penmanship.

He opened it heedfully, and began to read the poem that was apparently addressed to him...

_O noble, valiant, precious one,  
__I offer you my heart.  
__And if you were to accept it,  
__I pray we never part._

_But noble, valiant, precious one,  
__If you were to deny,  
__My world would reduce to bits and pieces,  
__And tears would I cry._

_But hear me, noble, precious one,  
__If that were to be the case,  
__It would be utterly impossible for me—  
__To forget your beautiful face._

_Because noble, valiant precious one,  
__I treasure thee so much.  
__Your smile, your taste, your everlasting grace—  
__Your savory, sweet touch._

_O noble, valiant, precious one,  
__Lay my heart to rest.  
__For you wield the key to our destiny—  
__Choose what you see best._

_My feelings for you are nothing but true,  
__My valiant, precious prince.  
__I shall never forget the moment we met,  
__For I've been loving you ever since._

Love,

_Link (aka... Your Green-clothed Knight)_

Prince Marth was unable to finish the poem because of the tears that distorted his vision. This was the final blow that ripped his heart into shreds.

_Beautiful..._ this had to be the most beautiful thing anyone had ever written him, and he was given lots of written things, mostly from females. But this little piece of poetry took the cake. He'd probably never meet another person in his lifetime that held so much passion and so much love for him...

But remember? Marth didn't need love. He was more focused on not getting his feelings hurt as opposed to taking orders from his bossy heart.

But losing Link entirely was something he knew he could not take. He had already lost half of him that night if not all, but he could not handle whole.

Such devastation would destroy him.

_I love you so much, Link. _

_More than you'll ever know. _

_Ever._

* * *

And I'm finished with the first chapter!

Please just pretend that Link's poem for Marth is epically awesome, because it's horrible (and yes, I thought it up).

Hokage's (_meaningless_) points:

(1): I love Astrology and Astronomy, and if you didn't know, Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the night sky. It is also a blue-white star C:

...So basically, Marth's afraid to love Link because he's terrified that he'll lose him like he's lost all of his other comrades in his quest to win back his kingdom. I kind of based it off Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon since I just bought the game. I love it. And now Link's thinking that Marth really doesn't like him... but in actuality... _he does_.

'Tis sad... and confusing, yes? Well, I hope that little summary there makes (somewhat) sense.

I hope you like it Nanae-sama! Sorry that it took so long... I was thinking _really_ hard xD But I'll think even harder to have the next chapter up in a jiff.

In the next chapter, Marth tells Pit about what's happened, and the prince finally opens up to Link about his true feelings. So there will be some development in their relationship there...

lD

'_Til then!_

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


	2. A Valuable Lesson

Title: A Most-Unlikely Pair

Pairing(s): **MarthXLink, IkeXPit**

Rating: M

**A/N: **Miraculously, the second installment is here.

Yes, yes. I have uploaded it... And of course I would. I know what it feels like to find out that your most favorite fic is no longer going to be updated (ha ha)... but in my case, it's my most favorite yaoi manga series...

(_Now I shall never know if Prince Christian is killed_... -sob sob-)

Plus Nanae-sama would be sad... So I hope that you squeal over this chapter more than you did the first my adorable, chibi Nanae-sama! :D Along with other, fellow MarthXLink (or even IkeXPit) fans.

I wrote this with you all in mind...

-bow-

**Warning:** Beware of sappiness (and foolish mistakes).

Onto the story, yes?

_Cinq six sept huit._

* * *

Prince Marth had memorized every stanza there was to be memorized of his beloved, cherished love letter, or poem, written by that fair-haired, blonde Hylian, committing it to memory. He ate with it, slept with it... It acted as his novel whenever he was unable to sleep... it was always tucked away in one of his many pockets or set on the cherry-wood nightstand near his bed.

So needless to say, he carried it with him _everywhere._

His most favorite stanza—the four, beautiful lines that just made his heart flutter like blossoming, popcorn kernels and melt like smoldering gold—was the very last one, specifically the concluding couplet at the end that seemed to sum everything up...

_...I shall never forget the moment we met,  
For I've been loving you ever since..._

Marth sighed...

"_Oh Link..._ I would have never known_..._"

The young noble swooned over his creased parchment at a sturdy bench a few meters from the welcoming entrance of the mansion—for he could not bring himself to do this in public— his wonderfully-blue irises flashing with light as thousands of pink, red and white hearts jubilantly danced in a ring about him like halos... His own, internal organ leaped with happiness and glee as he recalled the blonde's bold confession to him that unforgettable night...

So he_ was_ in love with him after all... Not that Prince Marth had his doubts, of course.

Why, a blind man could easily identify the love that they both harbored for each other. Not only because it was so strong that he could visibly see it, but because the love that radiated from them when close to one another was so immensely thick it nearly bound the unfortunate, succumbing others by their necks and lungs in its ghastly presence, choking them to their deaths. It was a heavy, dazing gas that wrapped the two of them together by an invisible force that effortlessly surpassed those of nature. A force that weakened knees and loosened lips...

But within the Altean prince's aching heart, dwelling in the fiery pit that withheld his deepest desires was the gut-wrenching fear of never being able to taste, to touch, to _love_ that sweet, gentle man of whom he adored to pieces.

After his brief moment of swooning and gasping, the prince frowned upon his poem, placing the parchment on his left breast, exactly where his heart rest beneath his skin... His orbs pierced the fabric of the spanless heavens, humbly begging for forgiveness from the goddess of love above. For he'd committed the number one sin any being could ever commit in the sacred bible of love.

And that sin was rejection.

_Rejection _cripples the heart. It cripples the mind. It snatches away the feeling of self-worth, self-righteousness, self everything. It crushes dreams and creates fear. Fear of love. Fear of being loved. Fear of ever loving again...

Link must've known this... He must've known what he was getting into. But ahh, he was so brave. _So courageous_. Really, what was there to expect of him? It was another manly display of his toothsome masculinity. A trait... a characteristic that was such a... a... _turn-on,_ if you would, for the prince.

There could have been—_must_ have been—the smallest doubt nagging him in the rear of his mind that told him there was a chance that the prince did not feel the same about him. Regardless of this tainting thought, he saw nothing of it. He stood against those odds like the man he was and proudly proclaimed his underlying love to the most gallant man to ever graze the Earth... only to be brutally shot down to ground zero.

And they have not spoken verbally since. For a week. No eye contact, no handsome smiles directed his way, no high fives, no—in that dreamy, creamy voice—"Goodnight, Prince Marth"... Nothing. Link cut off every form of communication after that night. But did he not promise that they would continue to remain friends? Did he not say that that was enough for him—that it was fair?

Then... why did he appear to be breaking his promise?

Prince Marth truly cherished the special one-on-one time they spent with each other... but he brought this upon himself. He could've pretended this from occurring, but, again, he was only thinking about—and looking out for—himself.

And his selfishness was the power that drove the angel away, but the prince frankly wore his knees out as he prayed each and every night that he would not be banished indefinitely out of his life. So far, Link was doing a good job completely ignoring his very existence. It did not matter how many times he called out to the archer that he loved, Link would find some way to pretend that he did not hear his booming voice. But Marth knew he had been heard—those ears pick up everything.

Marth curtained his cerulean eyes, inhaling the fresh air that encircled him with a consoling spirit...

_My dearest, dearest Link... Words fail me as I cannot begin to express how sorry I am—_

"—Oh darling! _Prince Marth!_ There you are!" shrilled the mushroom princess, twirling the cane of her frilly, spring parasol between her delicate fingers. The unsuspecting noble popped up, shoving his poem behind his back... which was horrendously obvious to Peach and those around her: Zero-suit Samus, Princess Zelda and Princess Daisy, who had stopped by to receive an exclusive tour of the mansion that she would soon be a member of.

"O-Oh!! Good afternoon, Princess Peach! You too, Samus, Princess Zelda... a-and Princess Daisy!"

He politely shook hands with all of them, Marth stretching his firm lips as far to his ears as they would allow, trying his best to conceal his secret, love poem. He wanted absolutely no one in on his love letter or the current relationship of him and the blonde Hylian. The females about him narrowed their round, sparkly eyes at the heaving prince. Such a jumpy reaction from the young man was uncommon. Peach's feminine, sixth sense rattled in alarm...

Something fishy was taking place... and whatever it was, the foul scent had been lingering in the air for quite some time according to her instincts and her observances of the prince and Link. She kicked into detective mode, shooting Princess Daisy a glance that went unseen from the male on the bench. The royal brunet identified the signal straight away, replying with a sly glimpse of her own, clapping her hands to redirect everyone's attention.

"You guys! I think I left my purse back at Peach's dorm! I'll go get it—don't leave without me, alright?!"

"Do not worry, Daisy. We will be right here waiting for you!"

The princess nodded off, leaving her circle of friends.

"Are you all going somewhere?" the prince inquired, gripping tighter onto his parchment.

"Yes. When Daisy comes back, we are all going to go shopping for gowns to the upcoming spring ball—"

"—_Ehem_," Samus calmly yet purposely intruded. Peach giggled sweetly at the bounty hunter.

"Although Samus here takes a keen interest in suits."

"Dresses aren't really my thing," she commented.

Prince Marth gave them his princely smile once more, "_I see_... ehh_... so_... Who are you all going with? Your escorts are...?"

"_Well..._ Mario is obviously my escort. Luigi is Daisy's, Snake is Samus's..." the mushroom princess began with much energy, but before she finished her reply, she stepped behind the Hylian princess, tenderly patting her petite shoulders.

"...But poor Zelda here has yet to find a partner."

Zelda playfully shrugged her small hands off her shoulders, proudly raising her chin high.

"Why Peach... I have yet to find a rule—or even a rulebook for that matter—that states one cannot attend a waltz by his or herself. It is my choice to attend this ball alone; I don't need anyone's pity."

"And I strongly second that emotion, Princess Zelda!" Marth chimed.

"Oh pish-posh, Prince Marth! I am certain that you've had a female companion accompany you to every ball there ever was in your past!" The pink-loving princess rid the lonesome bench of any dust or dirt that would threaten the fabric of her pink dress, took a seat next to her royal friend, a soft expression capitalizing her feminine features, "And with that said, _tell us_, who is the lucky candidate this year?"

Six, inquiring, azure eyes patiently and eagerly awaited the response... but they did not receive the one that they originally expected.

"Th-The same as last year: No one. I will not be escorting anyone to the spring ball with me. _I probably will not even go..._"

_...Link is not going, either. And a ball without Link is not worth attending._

"Is that so?" dug Peach a little deeper, moving closer to the tremulous man, "Are you sure about that? So what you're telling us is that you have not been thinking about locking arms with a certain _charming, blonde, pointy-eared man _and guiding him through the double doors?"

The ladies found humor in the patent beet-red blush of their taunted, male friend who could only gulp his jitters down and cling tighter onto the paper behind his back.

"Y-Yes! Th-that is _exactly_ what I am telling you all—"

With no forewarning, there was a sudden gush of wind behind the bench. Prince Marth reacted swiftly as if he were on the battlefield that very second, nearly tossing the entire bench onto its side to meet the intruder... but was more than surprised to see a simpering, _purse-less_ Princess Daisy, greeting the prince with wriggling fingers.

"_P-Princess Daisy?!_ Wha... _What?!_ I thought you were getting your pur—"

"—_Purse?!_ _Ha!_ What do I look like carryin' around a purse?! Who do you take me for—some brainless bimbo?! (1) Moreover, it looks here that there's a little something you wanna tell us about..."

Daisy dangled the prince's poem in front of her round face like a doll.

Prince Marth roughly had a heart attack that morning...

"G-Gah!! _No!! Princess Daisy!! Please give that back!!_"

Peach, along with the others, giggled as she watched the helpless prince hop about like an anxious, spazzing rabbit as the brunet Princess dodged his grasping hands, his poem the fat carrot.

"Ooh~! '_For Marth_'_!_ I wonder who it's from! _Not that any of us have to guess or anything_..." teased Daisy, ducking from the prince's long, desperate arms as they elegantly performed a snake dance all about her.

"_Yes! That is specifically addressed to me! Not to you! And I kindly ask for it back!!_"

"Geez, chill out, Prince Charming! _It's just a piece of paper_—" Daisy opened the crumbled, folded paper, "—oh ho—_correction!_ This is no ordinary paper... Says here that it's from his '_Green-clothed Knight_'!" Daisy announced, waving the sheet in the air as a signal to her lady friends. They all scurried over to their friend, the reddening prince's feet seemingly stuck to the earth they treaded upon.

It was far too late now; he had given up hopes of ever getting it back.

All four females surrounded the paper, their eyes furiously slashing over each and every line of professionally-crafted poetry, cooing here and there as were determined to read their way down to the very last period...

"'..._For I've been loving you ever since. Love, Link—Your Green-clothed Knight_'! Awwww!"

As squeals of happiness from princesses Peach, Daisy and Zelda—Samus not so much of the squeal-ish type—dulled the prince's sense of hearing, the princesses simultaneously smothering him in their tight embraces.

"_Aiiie!_ I knew it, I knew it!" Peach proudly proclaimed.

"When did Link give this to you?!" Princess Daisy questioned in partial frustration.

"Yes...! And why did you not tell us?!" Zelda pushed. Samus was the last to ask a question.

"Did he_ orally_ confess to you?"

Prince Marth muffled a dainty chuckle, half-smiling in nervousness. What was he to say to the pairs of eager, cerulean eyes?!

"..._Uh_. Yes. He did... confess to me. About a week ago, approximately."

"_What?!_ And you did not bother to tell us?!" angrily questioned the mushroom princess. She snatched him up by his wrist, forcing him to sit on the left side of the bench whilst she sat on the right, "I want you to tell us everything that happened that day," Peach ordered, putting away her pretty-pink parasol. The male bit the tip of his sensitive tongue.

"_Everything...?_"

"YES!" all four of them shrieked.

The cornered male hesitantly nodded in approval, tentatively crossing his legs as he began to tell his story of the glorious night...

"Well... er... the night he confessed to me... It was... a peaceful, moonlit night. It was close to midnight—a quarter to twelve, actually—and yet I could not seem to find sleep. So I lie awake, thinking about... about different subjects, hoping that I would wear myself out with so many thoughts bustling about in my head... when suddenly I heard this noise coming from the hallway. They sounded like footsteps. Now on typical nights such as that one had been I figured all my comrades would be sound asleep. But no, this was a different case. So this mysterious person knocked at my door, and of course I let them in. It was Link—the silhouette made by the little light in the hallway carving out his shape—which thoroughly confused me. Why would he be at my dorm around this time? Was there a problem? I was certainly not expecting him! I wasn't expecting anyone, really! But we simply chatted like the good friends we are... the reason for his abrupt visit still unclear to me... but not for too long. Later on in our various conversations, Link began to talk about Ike and Pit and their forthcoming anniversary... _he was hinting around_. But hinting around about what? And it soon became clear to me once I looked into his eyes..."

A suppressed grin tickled the prince's strawberry lips; he tried to hide it behind the back of his hand. The females snickered and cooed as they noticed his adorable bashfulness, poking and nudging him in the ribcage with their sharp elbows.

"Continue, continue!" chirped the princesses like little canaries, Samus simply waiting for the man to finish up.

"...And he told me with eyes that seemed to shimmer that he... he liked me—_a lot_—and... and he asked me if I felt the same."

"_Awww..._"

"And what did you say?!" inquired a captivated Zelda.

...Guilt consumed the young man. His eyes no longer sparkled and his lips ceased to carry that beautiful smile...

This fairytale did not have a happy ending.

"I... I said 'no'. _I said no_."

The women crowded around him gasped; Peach—whom was very, very upset by the way—bonked him repeatedly on his cobalt-haired head with her parasol. No one was expecting that, that was for certain! Samus fisted the prince's shirt in her hands, plucking him out of his seat like an unwanted weed, a scowl on her soft lips as she growled beastly, "You said _what?_"

Prince Marth sheepishly smiled, fearing for his life, "I-I said 'no'...?"

"And _why?!_" Princess Peach piped, tugging on his shirt. Princess Zelda avoided harmful, physical contact. She folded her arms in frustration and befuddlement after hearing such a response. Being a prime witness in Link's fragile emotions, heart and soul, she already knew what state the short, sensitive man was in. Link had been acting rather peculiar for the past week. And now she knew where this source of strangeness lies. And that was with the prince.

Samus released Marth, who was granted a few, vital seconds to breathe, but was soon caught in a vigorous grasp by Princess Daisy.

"Prince Marth, I do not understa—" Zelda gently started, but the Daisy—nearly strangling him by his neck—interrupted with, "_You idiot! Are you crazy?!_"

"How could you reject Link?!"

"_I-I—!_"

Before the princess of the mushroom kingdom had the golden opportunity to rip his body in half, Zelda interfered graciously, freeing him from her death grip, muttering, "Wait a minute here."

The Hylian heiress scooted much closer to the prince, all becoming quiet the moment she tapped his knee. Their identical pairs of azure eyes locked momentarily.

"Prince Marth... You _love_ Link. You _love_ him. What was your reason for telling him 'no'?"

The monarch met eyes with each and every duo of sky-blue eyes that contacted his, searching for something—anything—to retaliate with. But—as always—words failed him.

_She is right. Yes... My feelings for him are true. I wield a love for him that powerfully surpasses even my very own understanding. But... I do not deserve him. _

"Did something happen between the two of you? I have noticed that the both of you have not been quite as interactive with one another for the past few days—"

"—I... I cannot... _I cannot respond to that. _I am sorry. Please, excuse me."

The disheartened male dismissed himself immediately from his group of very puzzled, female friends at the bench.

"_Poor guy_..." Daisy murmured to herself, the others nodding with soft sighs.

"Do you know something, Princess Zelda?" questioned Princess Peach, spinning her cane in her small hands.

The Hylian princess linked her hands together, bowing her head.

"I am... not so sure. But something is not right here. Those two... there's something going on between them and I would very much like to know what it is."

_Link and Prince Marth... they were destined for each other. He is hiding something... But... what could it be?_

**AM-UP**

It was a free day... a free day that also was free of Link. There was nothing to do; around this time the prince and his blonde companion would be somewhere playing a board game or discussing things, trying hard to keep one's eyes away from the other's...

Prince Marth narrowly escaped dodging the princess's tear-jerking questions and sought refuge in the cooling waters of a lake that wrapped around the mansion. When summertime came about, making it impossibly, unbearably hot, he and Link splashed about in its refreshing water and lounged around under the few trees that provided beneficial shade along with their male friends. Marth slipped off his shoes and waded mindlessly in the cold water, the soles of his feet caressing the smooth, polished rocks beneath them. He did this to escape his woes, and to confront them. Slowly, slowly, slowly did he begin to lose his sanctified mind. And he did so by thinking thoughts like... like... what if he and Link were to exist in this way towards each other to the very end? It was not fair to the prince, but if was just as equally not fair to the Hylian either. What had he done to have this reaped unto his humble soul?

Nothing.

"Last one in is a toothless bum!" hollered the angel, a small splash following his declaration. And that was soon followed by several other splashes, those made by Ike, Captain Falcon, Snake, and the plumber brothers Mario and Luigi.

Link was the toothless bum.

A hasty Prince Marth quickly hid himself behind the trunk of a conveniently close tree, not wanting to make his presence known. Especially to his beloved crush. Just as rapidly as he jumped in, the little angel popped right back to the surface, flinging his arms and legs in every which way, water spewing from his lips like fountains.

"I-Ike!! You said it wasn't deep!!" squawked a vigorously wriggling Pit, leeching onto the torso of his partner as a handy—and comforting—flotation device. Not even the very tips of his toes could touch the bottom of the lake! It was very wide in width, but it was not very deep. Ike cackled, struggling somewhat to keep his lover afloat.

"I said it wasn't deep for _me_, love! Were you not listening?!"

Link stood near the edge of the body of water, all ten of his toes sampling the water's temperature, fingering the hem of his faded, green shirt, discarding it. Prince Marth's cheeks tinted at Link's... _sumptuous—_you could say_—_figure, sparkles that the prince imagined would be there making his grand appearance seem ever the more delightful and appeasing. He put a cap on his lips to refrain from squealing.

"Well, well! Look who's the toothless bum!" Captain Falcon jokingly made obvious. Mario and Luigi's lungs were tickled with laughter. Link dived into the frigid water, rising back to the surface after completing a few butterfly strokes underwater, ruffling his wet, blonde locks.

"_Heh_," he breathed, slightly out of breath, "Very funny, guys."

Meanwhile, Ike and his angel—who uncomfortably drilled the little nails he had into his mate's nicely-tanned skin—traveled throughout the water, the mercenary whispering words of assurance to calm his lover's fear of dropping him in the water. Pit wasn't having such a great time in the water than he thought he would have, and so Ike fulfilled his wish of setting him onto shore...

...close to where the prince stood with weak knees.

"Ike please don't drop me!"

"I won't drop you, Pit—"

"—G-GYAH! S-Something just brushed against my foot!! _You_ said there was nothing in this water!! How many lies are you going to tell?!" yelped the angel, crawling to the top of his boyfriend's shoulders for safety from whatever unwelcomed creature thought it would be funny to scare him out of his wits.

"_Pit_... it's probably just a small, harmless little fish!"

"_Check!_"

Ike shot him an "are-you-serious?" type of expression with a single jerk of his eyebrow, but Ike ultimately submitted to his request, set his small lover on land once again. Pit—unaware of this—was just two feet from the hidden prince, chortling as he watched his boyfriend bob around for the fish. Link was the second to join him on the green earth.

"Too deep for ya, Pit?" the Hylian teased, splashing a few drops of water onto the angelical male.

"Quit it! You know I really don't like swimming! I only came out here because Ike wanted to!"

The blonde simpered, sighing in the shade.

"_Sure..._"

The two watched the other men bicker about topics of their choice and boisterously splash about in the lake water when at one point in time, Pit blew a hot, lengthy, curly sigh, clapping his hands together.

"_Ohh_... Ike and I just cannot _wait_ until the spring ball! I've heard that it's so extravagant... and magical! Peach said the food's great, the music is, too! And everyone's all dressed up—we've already purchased our outfits, Ike and I...!"

"Eh... the ball. Yeah, s'alright. Not really worth all the hype, though."

The winged being narrowed his eyes at the relaxed swordsman, "Don't you _dare_ even go there, mister Link. You were _elated_ about this ball a few weeks ago; we couldn't get you to stop talking about it!" Pit weaved his fingers together while pursing his pouty lips, mimicking precisely the way the Hylian's eyes glittered whenever the subject either of them discussed had only an inkling to do with Marth, "'_I chickened out last year's ball, but this year I'm definitely going to ask Prince Marth to be my escort!_'"

"Pit, you already know why I'm not so interested in this ball... let's not start this."

"Yeah, yeah... Because Prince Marth rejected you. But Link... I am telling you—assuring you, here—that whatever he told you that night was a lie!"

_Yes_, thought the monarch from behind the tree trunk, _Pit... he speaks the truth._

The chuckling Hylian simpered ever the more at his naïve friend's claim.

"Why would he lie about not liking me? You truly don't know what type of person Prince Marth is, do you? You haven't the smallest hint. He chooses to show all of you a different side of him, but I am the only one _here_ who knows him fairly well. So what reason would he have to lie? _Che..._ _Lying about loving somebody..._ It's stupid. Just come out and say it. If you love 'em, you love 'em. If you don't, you don't. So if he doesn't like me, he simply doesn't like me. That's just it. End of discussion."

Those constricting syllables spat by the Hylian coiled like a relentless boa constrictor about his thumping organ in his chest... That wasn't Link speaking. That wasn't him the least bit...

...that's what the prince wanted to believe.

Pit folded his arms, riddled with disbelief at how heartless and difficult his friend appeared.

"So what if he truly doesn't like you? You're just avoiding him because he said 'no'—?"

"—All those nights I spent dreaming of him... all those poems I wrote thinking of him... and that stupid, stupid move I pulled, thinking that he actually had some feelings for me... I guess that's what I deserve for getting so... _caught up _in what my heart said and told me what to do, that I didn't dare once think I should reason it out in my head. I left my poem in his dorm on accident, too... _I bet he's getting a good kick out of it._ After writing all that... that... _drivel,_ only to find out the ugly truth, the very last thing I want to see is his face! It's humiliating_._"

The celestial male loosened his limbs from the bow they made, once he noticed the uneasiness in his comrade's rough voice and body posture. He could tell that this way a very difficult topic to discuss openly for him, and Link would go to very great lengths to evade this subject, but no. Pit would not allow that to happen. He wished to get to the bottom of this matter, even if it meant meddling in his business.

"_Link_..." the angel called with extreme tenderness, "...You're right about one thing. Being—_rejected—_brings about very horrible feelings. But... even if Prince Marth does not match your feelings, he is still your friend. You were friend's before this happened, so you can be friends afterwards!"

"But I don't_ want_ to be his friend, Pit," Link countered offensively, sitting straight up, "It's... It's not enough. It's like having half of him and I've had half for too long now. I don't _want_ half of his heart anymore—_no one wants half of anything_...

...I want _all _of him, Pit. I want _everything_."

The young noble bit his lips, mewling "_Aww_..." just increments below an audible mumble. He had to be extra mindful of what he let slip. Link's ears were sharper than sharp, and he did not want to give away his position.

"Wow. That's so... poetic," added Ike, who reappeared from his underwater adventure, sitting close to his bubbly, amethyst-eyed angel. Pit instinctively latched onto him.

"Sounds like someone's having romance issues," Snake chimed in, seemingly emerging from the wilderness, like always. Captain Falcon jumped into the conversation, folding his arms as he shared his expertise.

"Nah, Snake. He's been dealing with these feelings for Marth since last year. He's so hung up on that man it ain't funny. He finally got the guts to confess to him about a week ago, though. Things didn't go so smooth, I presume."

"Oh, _that _part I already know—"

"—Were you up late at night listening in on other's private conversations _again?_" Link butted in, quirking an eyebrow.

Snake folded his arms, "And _again_, I was simply testing out my new bugs, that's all."

With Snake now a resident at the Smash mansion, there was no such thing as privacy anymore.

"_Great..._" Link moaned.

"Hey! At least he broke it to you _softly_—"

"—Snake you're _really_ not helping," cut the mercenary, Pit fiercely agreeing. The soldier raised his hands, backing off.

"I was just making a statement—"

"—Can we _please _change the subject?" pleaded the blonde Hylian, pulling his weary head into his lap.

"Yes! W-We shall!"

Pit carefully scanned the area around him, looking for something to comment on, "Hey... what are Mario and Luigi being so secretive about over there?"

"Eh, who knows...? I can hardly tell with those heavy, Italian accents of theirs," remarked Captain Falcon.

As the four men carried on with their conversations, Prince Marth could not help but feel somewhat... blown off. So that was it? They weren't going to force Link to seek him out and explain himself for his strange behavior?! Marth cleverly figured that if he wanted a reasonable explanation from the swordsman himself concerning his attitude, then there was only one person in the entire universe that was capable of asking such a question...

...Himself.

"_Link!_" barked Marth, stepping away from the shelter of the tree. All seven heads turned, Link doing a double take before redirecting his attention to the men around him. Had they set him up?! All six of them hunched their shoulders. They truthfully had no idea that the prince had been hiding behind that tree the entire time.

Marth swallowed at all the inquiring faces, continuing what he started.

"There is a matter that I wish to discuss with Link... _privately_, if you'd please."

"And _that_ is our cue to leave!" Snake announced, clapping his hands together, "C'mon fellas, let's leave these two lovebirds in peace."

"What? _G-Guys...?_" the blonde softly peeped, slightly reaching out to his departing teammates, wanting nothing more than to swim away with them, but his gesture went unseen—or they chose to ignore him. He'd never know for sure.

As expected, Pit agreed with the soldier, Ike wisely favoring whatever his lover said to avoid unwinnable arguments. The three of them filed away from the pair of swordsmen—Ike holding Pit like a toddler—joining the two, Italian plumbers on the other side of the lake, fulfilling the prince's desire for some time alone with the man he treasured with a severe, unmatchable passion. Captain Falcon, however, lingered for a few more seconds, saluting him with a big smile for whatever reason. Link was unsure of this reason, but he was positively sure that—for once in his life—he did not want to be left alone with Marth.

Link, his back turned on the prince, chewed harshly on his tongue to bring some sort of comfort to him, which was odd taking the pain that it brings into mind.

_Perfect... this is exactly what I wanted... _

_To be stuck—alone—with him._

"Link...? I... I kindly ask that you would face me... It is... awfully difficult to talk to your backside."

_Goddesses... and he's using that sweet, airy voice just right._

The Hylian—with not once traceable ounce of difficulty—completely followed this command as if the prince magically breathed that order to life inside of him. Marth was pleased—this showed that he was listening to him—but one thing that did disappoint him. Their eyes did not meet. Evidently to Link, the muddy ground was a much more appealing sight than the sweet prince before him. Well, for the time being, of course. Marth imagined that there were some unanswered questions lurking around in the blonde's mind; one in specific is why had he been hiding behind a tree. He felt that he could at least give him some explanation to this. He owed him that.

"I... I was walking around in the lake when you all came. I did not want you to see me, and so I hid behind that tree there. Pit soon came over, and so did all of the others—including you. I... I heard a lot of things, so... I would like to... to ask some questions that I have been wondering myself... just to clear a few things. _Um... _is it true that you are avoiding me because you're... 'humiliated'?"

Link shot up, meeting the prince's vividly blue orbs, waving a hand slightly in defiance.  
He then looked away quickly to hide the truth that dwelled in the limitless oceans of his eyes, but Marth had just a nanosecond to look into those eyes and discover it for himself.

"_..._ 'Avoiding' you...? You think I'm _avoiding_ you? No—_nonsense._ I'm... I'm not 'avoiding' you, Marth..."

"But we have been talking less. _No_... We have not been talking at all. We have not eaten breakfast nor dinner together since that night. You do not come to see me before you go to bed to rest. You... you cannot even look me in the eyes, Link. You even went on to say that the last thing you wanted to see was my face... Is that true?"

Prince Marth reached out, softly grasping his crush's chin. He brought up the golden-haired angel's head to get a better glimpse of his eyes, but Link simply refused to be caught in the cross fires of his gaze that would jerk the truth out of him against his will. A guilty expression overcame his prominent features, Marth feeling his heart dematerialize agonizingly and slowly into nothingness...

"_Link... _Why will you not look at me? Why will you not speak the truth to me...? Please, help me understand your feelings... You... you are my _friend_—"

"—_Marth_..."

Link started with hesitance, revealing his aquamarines to the man he would give everything up for, peering pointblank into his eyes. At that instant—just by that sad, sudden glance—the archer transferred every feeling that flowed through his veins straight into the prince's body. He felt the breaking of his heart, the unworthiness he was feeling... he felt it all.

"...Prince Marth. I am sorry that you feel as if I am avoiding you. I-I'm not purposely trying to... honest. And I _am _humiliated. I _am_ embarrassed—"

"—But _why_, Link? Tell me _why_ you feel this way—"

"—The last person you want to see when... 'turned down' for lack of a better term, is the one who... _rejected_ you. I know you're—_we're_ accustomed to spending lots of our time together, but... I'm sorry, I just... need a little space."

Link—with that familiar, dismayed look in his crystal-blue eyes—removed the prince's ginger palms from his cheeks, turned, and slowly stepped into the lake. Prince Marth could only stand by and watch the one he loved trod away from him... his feet would not permit any other action.

A little space could shortly lead to a lot of space and a lot of space could ultimately result in infinite desertion. He could not let that happen. Link was "the one"... the one the gods took days, months, perhaps even years of molding, making certain that he was acceptably suitable for a prince... but specifically suitable for him. Maybe it was naïve of him to think that, but there are many few—many, fortunate few—that rarely hear the voice of fate.

And right then, on the very unleveled spot he stood, that creamy voice foretold what could have been his unmistakable miserable future if he continued to allow Link to just... just walk away from him like this. Especially if he could prevent it! Two years of camaraderie (2) would not end under these circumstances!

"_Link!_"

Abruptly, with all his princely might, Prince Marth Lowell obtained a firm grip on his wrist, and spun him around without a hassle, the blonde tripping over his own foot at the sudden, forceful jerk. And soon enough, Link stumbled into the prince's arms headfirst, engulfed by the warmth, fragrance and his toothsome, bottomless love. Marth wove his limbs about the archer's frame, pressing him frightfully close. Their hearts were mere inches apart...

"Link, _please_..." the prince pleaded desperately, directly into his elfin ears in a feather-light tone. The golden-haired one melted effortlessly against his figure, fighting against the ferocious, burning temptation to embrace him back...

Despite his heartfelt plea, and the incredible warmth distributing from them both, Link—although he found it painful—pulled himself from the embrace of the noble, his countenance long and gloomy... like he'd lost his best friend... or worse yet, a potential lover.

"_I'm sorry_..." murmured the Hylian with a flaky voice, thoughtfully throwing in a semi-smile, setting off for his dorm room, or anywhere, really, as long as he could find a place that would bring him peace. The males who partook in watching the dramatic situation from the sidelines kept their orbs plastered on his backside. All except for Pit, who now felt overwhelmed with a surge of empathy for the prince that he would imagine felt astronomical pain. Out of Ike's arms did he fly to reach Marth on the other half of the lake. He did not have to ask questions regarding what had just took place, for the facial expression worthy of pity on the lovely man's visage and the pained look in his eyes told all.

**AM-UP**

"_Pit?_ Might I ask what it is that you are about to do and why I'm involved?"

Immediately following the great Prince Marth and Link dilemma, the angel had called for a private meeting of importance including only the prince and himself. Ike, however, wanted in on this secluded arrangement, bugging his angelic lover to no end as he began his journey to the noble's dorm—their agreed meeting place—a thick, black book of some sort tucked closely to his side.

"Someone's gotta tie the knot for those two, and if they won't do it, then I will," stated a fairly confident Pit, hastily marching towards the sought room.

"You mean Link and Marth?_ Sweetheart_, I don't think it's a good idea to go... _barging_ in on other's private matters. In other words...playing cupid_—"_ Ike smiled, "—_no pun intended_."

Pit laughed at his lover's dry joke, "I know..._ but come on, Ike!_ You saw the big fight at the lake! It's not a private matter anymore! And in addition to that... my angel senses are tingling. Something is not right with those two... or Marth. There's something going on with one of 'em. The way they would look at each other, smile at each other... when Link asked him to be his lover, why, Marth would've—no—_should have_ said 'yes' in a heartbeat. But why didn't he? And that's what I am going to get to the bottom to."

Ike blinked at the little brunet, picking on how tense his thin eyebrows were which obviously meant the he was dead set and intensely focused on solving whatever mystery that hindered the two swordsmen from revealing and giving voice to their true emotions, feelings and thoughts. This brought a smile upon the mercenary's lips... but he was still a little curious as to why he needed a book, much less whose book it was. Pit left him in the dark about most details of his plan, but he figured what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him; he supported his lover all the way.

Pit reached his destination, removing the book form beneath his arm, "Alrighty. This'll only take me but a second, Ike, but the reason you're here is to be the 'look out'."

Ike knitted his eyebrows, "The _whatsit?_"

"The 'look out'!" Pit whispered in earnest, "You are to simply stand to the side of Marth's door and keep an eye out for Link. Make sure he comes nowhere near it! But please, don't make it too obvious. Just make it seem like you're... you're hanging around or somethin'."

"_Okay..._ but why Link in particular? Why not anyone else?"

Pit held up the leather-bound notebook to his lover's face.

"You see this...? Just by _carrying_ this thing around makes me a walking dead man. I've already signed my own death warrant. So frankly, if Link catches me with this, I'm a goner."

Ike couldn't seem to understand what his mate was saying... What was so important about the book that Pit would be liable to lose his life?

"What...? Is it his diary?"

The angel devilishly smirked, "_Close._.. I call it Link's '_smutbook'_."

Ike laughed, intrigued. That caught his full attention.

"...Smutbook? _Really?_"

"_Mmhm._ His private collection of dirty, little love poems, stories, fantasies—you name it—all involving the man behind this very door_. What can I say? _The guy's a poet in all areas, even smut. It's no wonder why he put such great effort into hiding it."

Ike poked the tip of the angel's small nose, "Perhaps it's because he didn't want little snoopers like _you_ finding it. And please don't tell me that you're going to show _that_ to Marth..."

"If he wants to see it, then yes. Its purpose is to persuade him, or jerk the truth out of him... One of those two."

The skilled swordsman simply blinked to the door, and then down to the book.

"You wanna take a look-see? Might as well. You're practically a dead man, too, since you've agreed to help me—"

"You mean 'forced'—"

"—_Same difference_, Ike."

Tauntingly, Pit waved the book side to side, front and back before him. He did have a point. If Link were to somehow discover that his precious notebook had been taken out of his secret compartment without his say, he would come after the angel first—with a thirst for blood, no doubt—and then Ike himself! But Ike would rather turn himself in if the situation would ever present itself to him.

But ultimately, Ike gave into the taunt, tossing all consequences aside.

"I guess... a small peek wouldn't be... that bad—_umph!_"

The very second that left his lips, Pit shoved the book into his stomach, "Read the one titled 'Colorful Sighs'! It's by far the sweetest poem I've ever read of Link's... in a kinky sense, mind you."

Ike seemed to have automatically flipped open to the said poem when he popped open the notebook. 'Colorful Sighs' had been written in mesmerizing script at the very top, snatching the mercenary's interest immediately, but not as much as the poem would once he'd begin reading it.

And so Ike's blue eyes treaded over the first stanza with a calm, relaxed face, but three, four, five stanzas later, his eyes became "pluckable", for they were nearly protruding out of his skull. The stressed look of utter disbelief but interest did not vanish until the final, jointed, four lines...

_...Oceanic rivets of climactic waves seize hold of you, my precious one,  
And out births an incredible cry of sheer delight,  
With swollen, rose-petal lips and drooling, crystalline, sated orbs,  
I ravenously drink in the sight that had become of your jagged, colorful sigh._

"_Damn_... Well I'll be," Ike breathed seconds after finishing, flipping the page, seeking—and secretly thirsting—more.

"You read it all? It's sweet, isn't it?! I wish it was a rhyming one, though. I like the rhyming ones_._ Link truly has a gift..."

"_Yeah_... but wow. He's basically turned a fantasy... into a poem. A striking one at that."

"And that is why it is crucial that I must show this to the prince. To let him know how much Link truly cares about him, how much he loves him..."

Pit took the precious book out of the mercenary's hands with delicacy, Ike kissing his brow while whispering with breath as sweet as honey, "What you're doing for them is very, very sweet. And don't fear, I'll have my eyes for Link. You just do your thing."

The vibrant, luscious purple in the angel's eyes sparkled at the touch of his mate's lips, though not much light surrounded them, "Thank you."

After an ongoing series of lovey-dovey ganders, Pit knocked softly on the door. A feeble, "Who is there...?" could be picked up from the other side. Pit took a final look at his lover, Ike nodding as he faithfully held his unsuspicious position.

"It's Pit, Marth. Remember the meeting we set up?"

Pit—and the swordsman by him—waited a good minute before he heard the significant "click" that allowed the angel to walk right on through...

**AM-UP**

"_Marth...?_"

Bright, hopeful amethyst orbs searched about for the prince, but found him silently perched upon his queen bed with the shattered spirit of a wingless butterfly, a sheet of paper in his hand—the very poem Link had written for him and the one Pit'd read before it had arrived in his nippy fingertips. He looked... sad, and there was an indifferent aura about him. He had every inexcusable reason to be dispirited, though... because his very own universe had disintegrated into primeval matter. The last of his beloved stars—Link—rebelled, shooting out of his orbit. Now there was nothing. He'd officially lost all whom he was the closest to. And it was partially ironic: Marth made the choice to not be with him to keep from losing him, but he did anyway... or so it appeared.

Pit tipped to the prince's bed with a gentle smile, "How are you?"

"I am... quite alright. _Um..._ I apologize if I do not seem as verbal throughout this... 'meeting', but... I did not expect today's events to turn out the way they have."

"Oh no, that's completely understandable. It was a shock to me, too—to _all_ of us."

Prince Marth stared holes into his parchment...

"But why did you say 'no'? I still do not understand... Why did you say 'no'? _Marth..._ You _love_ Link—"

"—I do _not_ love Link—" Marth sharply countered, bowing and shaking his cobalt-haired head.

"—_Yes you do—_"

"—_No_, I do not. I do not love Link. He is only but a friend to me—"

"—Marth, we can argue about this all night; I know the truth and you know the truth. It's not good to lie to yourself. But what just... boggles my mind is why did you turn him away? I figure if you love someone to a certain—but in this case I should use _extreme—_degree, why would you not accept their offering of love?"

Prince Marth stabbed his lips with his teeth as the sought truth just narrowly sprung out from the cracks of his very soul.

"I... _I_... _Anyway_, what is the _true _purpose of his meeting?"

"Ahh, a little hasty are we? Well, let's wrap this up."

Pit gently crawled onto the bouncy bed, crossing his legs whilst Link's notebook rest comfortably in his small lap. For the first time, Marth laid his curious orbs on the thick, black book.

"I have a little something here that I think you'd want to see. It concerns you."

Marth bat his long lashes, poking himself in his chest, "..._Me?_"

_He's adorable..._

"Yep—_Come closer!_"

The prince blank, scooting to the edge of his bed hurriedly his eyes glued to the notebook like tree sap on paper, the angel close by his side.

"Apparently, I'm not lugging around his notebook for my own well-being. You know how Link writes poetry, right?"

"Oh yes—_beautiful_ poetry—most definitely."

"Well, you know that poem he gave you the night he confessed?"

The nobleman blinked, resembling a tomato. He knew about his secret love poem, too?! Well, perhaps by now it wouldn't be classified as a secret anymore...

"_H-How did you know about that—?_"

"—Who do you think proofread it? And if you're wondering if he's written other poems about you, then I've come to tell you, my friend, that there's more where _that_ came from. When Link left his dorm that night, I went snooping around in it a wee bit. I wanted to see if I could find more of his poems—he rarely allows me to read them anymore. Actually, he used to let anyone who wanted to read them have a little peek, remember?"

Marth bobbed his head; Pit moved in closer, arching a brow.

"_Wanna know why he stopped?_"

"_I... I would_."

"...While I was searching around for some of his written works, I found _this_ notebook underneath piles of scraps paper... _and Marth?_ I don't think you'll ever find another person that hoards as much passion towards you as much as this man does."

The prince's face flushed greatly with a beauteous, red shade.

"W-Why do you say that?"

And without uttering a single word, Pit relieved himself of the book, setting it in the swordsman's lap.

"Because now—to Link—you're all that's worth writing about. He's already written hundreds of poems about you, from your—and I quote from one of his poems that I've memorized—'infinite strands of cobalt ecstasy' to your 'irresistibly-smooth, buttery soles'."

Pit's claim caused the prince's irises—along with his blinking cheeks—to light up like candles.

That... was beautiful. It sounded just like him, too.

"R-Really...? _H-He..._ Link _really_ wrote that... _about me?!_"

"Yeah. See for yourself."

Without a minute to lose, Marth hurriedly pulled away the clasp with such strength, it was like he was unraveling a present. Before he began to start digging into the many poems that awaited him, a small hand did not allow him to open it. The noble peered at his angelic archer with inquiring, puzzled eyes.

"My apologies, Marth. You see, there's a little something that I left out..._ purposely_. In order to read this, you'll have to tell me_... the truth._ Your true feelings."

"_T... True feelings?_" the prince stuttered, the angel taking the book out of the man's grasp. Marth looked as though he were about to cry.

"Yes, your true feelings... for Link. And I'm going to ask this only once. I want you to look me in my eyes and tell me the honest truth about your reason for turning him away... Because Link's not all that bad when ya think about it. He's good-looking, funny, talented, obviously romantic... He's sweet and he cares about others—_especially you_—so what's the problem, here? What turns you off?"

Prince Marth emitted a hefty sigh—one that could've easily blown the little angel off his tush—prepping himself. Pit was not the first person he had imagined that held finally reveal the motive behind his questionable actions. Link was the one, in fact, if he'd ever gotten the strength to look into his eyes and tell him all the gritty details.

Marth called forth from within him the upmost powerful, sincere gaze yet, his eyes meeting the winged male. He was ready to given an even sincerer reply to the brunet's question.

"Nothing, Pit. Nothing 'turns me off'. It's just that... I did not expect to fall in love here. Link is... all that I've ever wanted—_imagined_—in a man... and so much more. He is charming, multi-talented, gentle-natured and... sensual. He cares greatly about others... he is faultless—_flawless_. So why did I reject him so, you ask? What is the key reason? I can truthfully tell you that personality and outward appearances did not play a part in my decision-making. The true reason behind all this confusion is... is that... I am utterly terrified that I will lose him. If I get close to him, and something happens, I haven't a clue what I would do. I don't want to feel that pain... that familiar, ailing, indescribable pain of losing someone who is closest to you..."

Pit weaved his small arms...

_It's just as I suspected..._

"You made that decision based on what's happened in your past—before you came here, right?"

"...Sadly, yes. I've allowed these feelings to override my thoughts for too long. They've cost me the very man that I love..."

"So you _do_ love him..."

"With every bone in my body."

"_Ah... Marth, Marth, Marth..._"

Pit took the prince into his arms, consolingly enveloping him with his natural angelic sweetness, Marth easily fell right into them, his head resting on his shoulder. This was exactly how Link would embrace him on those days... or nights.

"Tell me, Marth. Are you afraid of love?"

"_A_... Afraid?"

"You really shouldn't be... there's absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Love is a powerful, misunderstood force—one not to be reckoned with or feared by. With love, you're stronger than anything, therefore capable of overcoming any obstacle there is without fail. And if fear is that obstacle—and your love outweighs that of fear—then you should not be afraid. Whoever came up with that 'Love conquers all' slogan, they sure knew what they were talking about. Because it's true... it really is. Take my word for it."

After taking many a moments to absorb the wise words of the angel in and thoughtfully put them into context, Prince Marth peered admirably at the warm, gentle male with a hope-filled smile. For certain, Pit would have lots of aiding knowledge regarding love and relationships; he was tremendously grateful of his wisdom.

_Love conquers all... I've heard that before... from somewhere. Though I've never really believed in it._

"Thank you, Pit. I have forgotten that."

"You're most certainly welcome! We all need to be reminded of that more often, including me at times."

"So... you are implying that I should pursue Link and not be afraid of myself?"

Pit nodded, jumping swiftly off the swordsman's bed, leaving Link's "smutbook" behind.

"I'm not only implying _that._ I'm also implying that you should tell Link all that you've told me—_y'know_—the real truth behind your reason and confess your love. He's been moping around this mansion like a banana-less Donkey Kong."

This illustrious description spawned a giggle or two out of the prince.

It fit Link perfectly.

"Yes, well... I will see into that."

"I pray that you will... and I believe this concludes our meeting! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk with you."

The winged boy stated, starting for the door.

"You're welcome—oh! _Pit...?_"

"Yeah?"

Marth flashed his celestial comrade a handsome grin, "I would like to wish you and Ike a very Happy Anniversary."

That sweet, sweet wish melted the very core of Pit's heart, the smile of all smiles claiming the little one's lips.

"_Awww..._ That's awfully thoughtful of you to say. Thanks, Marth. I hope that one day I'll be able to return those words... Anyhow, good luck."

The angel left the prince in peace to wallow in his words and to start indulging in this mysterious poetry book his friend intentionally dropped off. What better time did he have to read it then now?

**AM-UP**

"Is he alright? Did you give him the notebook?" Ike questioned his grinning lover who skipped out into the hallway with air-light feet.

"Yep! Boy is he going to have a good time reading all that, too... I certainly did."

"Link's gonna kill you once he finds out that his book is missing. You know that, right?"

"Uh~huh!" Pit sang, twirling about without a single care in the universe, "But that's why you're here to protect me, _ne~!_"

The couple strode hand in hand down the corridors, "Hey, Ike?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you write me a smutty poem?"

"..."

**AM-UP**

Prince Marth made himself comfortable—snuggled between two fluffy pillows—as his heart pleaded for freedom, the organ hammering his chest with a merciless, threatening force. The secret book peacefully rest on his thighs just waiting to be read, Marth's hands cradling it on either of its sides. Butterflies—millions upon millions—tickled him from the inside-out.

He was holding Link's secluded poem book—and if Pit was telling the truth—which contained poems that were all dedicated to him.

_Him._

_Hundreds _of them.

Tingles plagued his skin as the very thought teased his cranium.

After all this time wondering when he was going to receive the chance to read a hand-written poem by the Hylian, Link was busy writing poems about yours truly?! Marth knew how beautifully he was capable of writing when motivated and inspired, so what could he have possibly written?

He figured it was time to stop asking aimless inquiries and to find out why he'd kept this book so guarded for so long. At his leisure, Prince Marth fingered the metal clasp and off it went. He pulled back the cover, the title page staring him dead in the face. Marth flipped the page, coming face to face with a blank sheet with little, curly writing...

_For my treasured prince...  
Whom I love tirelessly._

Why... it was a dedication page. One that eased a lovely smile on Marth's lips and wonder if the blonde was eventually going to give him the notebook. It was ultimately up to him in the end, of course, but even if he wasn't, Marth was glad to have gotten it from the angel. If it had not been for him, there's a possibility that he would not have read it all.

After cooing over the dedication page, Marth stumbled upon a few blank pages here and there, but finally came upon his first, five-paged poem entitled 'Moonlight Symphony'...

...

...

...He suffered a nosebleed and a painful arousal at the end. He'd gotten the same results from the others: 'Starless, Summer Nights', 'Beckoning Call', 'Masquerade' and the many, many others he had come across in his first hour of reading. Each lyric piece had its own, individual plot—if a poem could have such a thing—but in the end, the two of them wound up making love. And Link described everything so beautifully... The 'water dancing', the 'wind singing a symphony', the 'sparkling sweat' trickling down his quivering thigh—which the artsy Hylian called 'beads of liquefied sugar'. Sweat isn't necessarily sweet in most cases—or is it ever, actually—but that was the magic of Link's writing.

Marth carefully dissected the meaning of every line to attain a better understanding; Link used fancy words and peculiar phrases when lacing together his sentences. But altogether they were all beautiful, captivating his attention and holding it hostage throughout lunch and dinner. He snacked on a handful of baby carrots as he was well into a short story Link included near the middle of the notebook.

It was a story of a grief-stricken prince—Marth, no doubt—and a knight—Link, obviously—who were joined by many, bold others in his battle to confront the evil that'd befallen his innocent kingdom and claim his rightful throne. It was a story of a romantic ordeal that ended tragically with the untimely death of his strongest, devoted most-trusted knight whom—with his ragged, dying breath in the midst of an epic battle—told him that he loved him. But the prince in the tale could sputter not one word or syllable as he watched the cherry-painted lips of his best friend quiver and gasp for breath no more.

And the story closed with the prince winning the battle, but it was a bittersweet victory, because the late knight would never know the prince's true feelings.

It left tears to well in the pockets of Marth's eyes... It reminded him harshly of their relationship—it could be the future of their relationship. Prince Marth could leave at anytime and Link would never know how he truly felt about him, what his true feelings were, where his heart lies with him. But frankly, he was not being honest with him nor with himself. He was all for honesty... and he felt like Link deserved the truth.

Not only did he deserve the truth, but he deserved a _man._ He deserved love and to be loved. He deserved waking up to breakfast in the morning, butterfly kisses midday, flowers and chocolates just because, and memorable, summer walks along the beach at midnight. He deserved... a prince's love. Not the love of any other, ordinary man, but the special, magical love of a true prince. That's what Marth wished for him...

"_Ahh!_"

A revelation fell upon him like an anvil in those retro, Saturday morning cartoons.

What if Link began seeking love in the arms of... another man?

He blanched, resembling porcelain.

No. It could not be. He could not visualize _his _Link with another man.

Another man nor woman was not near worthy of Link's heart. They didn't even come close. Marth deemed himself the only being with the ability to breathe _fit _for the blonde's heart.

No one else could have him...

_Link... falling in love with... someone else? Someone other than me?_

A relatively sweaty Prince Marth darted... roughly through his own door and out into the hallway.

...And that was an infinite 'no one'.

**AM-UP**

Link sampled a little broth from his sweltering stew, lightly smacking his lips, his tired taste buds searching for the missing ingredient... it would not come to him, oddly. But he refused to eat what he claimed to be a rather poor excuse for beef stew that the others were choking on downstairs in the cafeteria...

_It's a little bland, but that'll have to do... I'll let it cook a little while longer._

The Hylian snatched off his small apron, hung it in its usual location, and found a seat at his round table where he'd eat all his meals, sitting in it with a slouch in his shoulders. It wasn't really a challenge to find one; he only had two chairs, the other a daily reminder of his loneliness.

Well... he didn't mind being alone. He's spent most of his life in solitude. Nothing's changed.

Until he fell in love, that is.

With an absent mind, Link sluggishly strummed with errant strands of blonde locks to occupy himself as he waited for his dinner to cook...

Thoughts of today's unfortunate events trickled in, his appetite slowly withering away.

_Marth's pleas... the sad look in his aquamarines..._ But he promised they would be friends! But Link could only see "isolation" as the only resolution. But he would not compromise, he would not settle for less. He wanted to be Marth's number one, not one-in-a-half, or even a fraction of that.

He swore to stick to that moral, but what a sacrifice it was.

_Love brings such despair, one may never understand, though I surely do. Ha... that's a haiku. I'll have to write that down before I forget..._

Somehow, someway, his right hand set itself on his chest... he breathed calmly, his index finger drawing tiny circles on his plain, white T-shirt as his eyes half-lidded, becoming heavy with defeat and loss. It was as if he were tracing over the edges of the expanding hole in his heart.

The hole where Prince Marth was supposed to be... He had such big dreams for the both of them. Dreams now that would never become granted, thus leaving the enlarging void in his organ to engulf him slowly. But that was life. And it was being a bitch. A future together was probably not very likely, but... a guy could dream, right?

In the midst of his self-pitying, an unexpected series of continuous, hasty knocks assaulted his door. Poor Link jumped a few inches out of his chair!

"I-I'll be right there...!"

He firstly wanted to tend to the stove. There were some peculiar sounds rising from the silver pot on his stove, but the person on the other side did not wield such patience, for the obnoxious, boisterous knocks raps kept coming without rest.

"_Alright, alright, I'm comin', I'm comin'..._"

_Whatever it is... It's not that serious. Maybe it's Pit. He's probably come to blow up in my face..._

Eventually, when all the noise came to an intolerable level, the swordsman stomped to his screaming door and swung it open in aggravation.

"_What—?!"_

A brief, uninformative flash of blue swept the short Hylian up with typhoon-force winds. This "flash" had very strong arms and a pair of lips that were as antsy as a two-year-old in a candy store, which were plastered onto his own without the blonde's say-so.

_What the—?!_

As soon as his eyes popped open, Link's body was then pressed to the nearest wall by this, intrusive, powerful being—he received quite the impact to his head—struggling significantly to identify the intruder. Whoever _he_ was, apparently they wanted more than a visit. Link knew that it was a man. A woman would never have such control over him—no matter what size, height or weight she may be. And their bodies practically melded together; this particular individual was amazingly built. Now that he's somewhat narrowed his person-of-interest down, all there was to do was figure out who the man was.

And fast: the hands on his shoulder granted themselves the permission to roam all about the blonde's back, and the icy tip of his tongue wasn't making him ever the more comfortable, either.

_Sorry pal, but it ends here._

With a forceful shove, Link pried the stranger's body from his—which was some work, no doubt—heaving as though it were a difficult boulder rather than a human body. He even brought the claws out, and they were very effective judging by the way the man bent over, holding his left cheek.

"_Ow_..."

"You've gotta lot of balls barging in here and_—"_

Link got his first good look at his guest: the blue uniform, the unmatchable, lustrous blue hair...

_Oh gods. _

_Oh gods, oh gods._

Prince Marth?!

It was Prince Marth?!

The prince stopped his wincing to bravely confront the befuddled Hylian. He gradually stood erect, the minor scratch highlighted by a great deal. Link would've felt remorseful if he were not so fixated on the concrete fact that he'd basically gone to first base with the man. And much to his delight, Marth surprisingly stepped up to him, encircled him in his arms and tied them behind his back, and stared intensely into the corresponding pair or orbs.

"I don't want you to find another man! I don't want you to love anyone else...!" the noble pouted, adding in a shake or to his beloved's body.

Link cocked his head a degree. Circuits of thoughts were transmitting to and from his noggin. First the man had nearly knocked his door down trying to come in, then he pushes him into the wall, suffocating him to death... and now he's saying that he doesn't want him loving anyone?

Far too much was occurring in such a small timeframe...

"_Wh... What?_ M-Marth, _um_... I'm afraid I'm not following. _At all_."

Marth bowed a little, his bangs disclosing his eyes, "Yes... well, ah... I suppose it's time to fess up."

_...Fess up?_

Link scrunched his eyebrows, clearly puzzled over this hidden meaning, but fickle his attention was. With those soft, ginger fingertips, Marth gently gripped his chin, the blonde looking into some of the clearest eyes in this godforsaken world.

T'was a gaze so great, his knees jellied.

And alas, the day he'd been dreaming uselessly of had come.

Marth softly felt over his right cheek with his fingers...

...Link—though confused—wanted to kiss all five of them.

"...I love you."

Did Link's trusty ears begin to deceive him? Or did Prince Marth—the finest being on earth and beyond—just say the "L" word?

"_Come again...?"_

And that he did.

"_I love you._ I love you, Link. _I love you, I love you._ And I've made you wait much too long to hear those words."

If Marth knew it was that easy to say those three simple words he would have told him that long ago—but it wasn't. But still, that confession rolled itself off his tongue so effortlessly... Billions of crippling pounds of burdens, guilt and shame seemed to have evaporated into the warm air from the prince's shoulders, chest and back... It was totally liberating for him, but immensely puzzling for the man flushing over with numerous tints of red in his arms.

He'd just confessed his love to him...

Something that he'd never ever imagined—in two _lifetimes_—that he would hear. It felt almost as if he were speaking French to him, _et Link ne parle pas français. _

(and Link doesn't speak French.)

"Whoa, whoa," Link chuckled, breaking away from his comfy hold, "This is_... this is not_—"

"—Forget all that I've told you regarding my feelings towards you, for I was not being wholly honest with myself... nor with you, Link.

...From the moment we met, I knew you were special. You weren't like all the others... You are unique, your own individual. You stand out. And that's how you've managed to catch my eye. And yes, very much similar to your own personal experience, I fell in love instantaneously. But... as quickly as I had succumbed to cupid's arrow, I just as quickly concealed my growing love and feelings for you _from_ you.

...Perhaps I did not do a good job of hiding them, because if did, I would not be standing here before you presently giving you this speech—"

"—But why would you have to 'conceal' your love from me?" Link tossed in freely. Marth was going somewhere with this, and he wanted to go, too.

The noble smiled attractively, "_I was getting to that. _Um... Well, you know the stories I told you on those quiet, evening nights_... The groaning battlefields... my dying comrades, my losses and the pain it created_... And how I was afraid of getting close to—and losing—others..."

Prince Marth swallowed, secretly hoping that Link would piece together the rest, because he could not bring himself to say the last bit... He was an intelligent being; he'd figure it out one way if not another.

And the prince assumed right. With his arms folded and head hung, Link warily analyzed his given information.

"_So, you were afraid of loving me, because you were afraid of..._"

Gradually, Link peered to the royal one's eyes...

"It's because you're afraid of... losing me?"

_Bingo._

Prince Marth slightly nodded his head. Link released an invisible cloud of hot air as he too shook his head in skepticism. For this entire time—the sole reason for the prince's standoffish attitude towards loving him was _this? _Why oh why could he not see this before?

"_Oh Marth..._" Link sobbed dryly, throwing himself onto his prince like a security blanket. He pressed the tip of his pointy nose into his collarbone, inhaling and exhaling his rosy scent while basking in the healthy warmth of his embrace. "Why would you think you'd lose me...?"

"..._I don't really know_."

"Well... You don't have to be fearful anymore," the Hylian reached for the lovely man's face, gingerly cupping both his cheeks, soothing the warm skin there with his thumbs, "_because I'm not going anywhere._"

Marth smiled... but it was an apprehensive smile.

Easier said than done.

"...You promise?"

Link perched up on the tip of his toes to become one in height, pecking his cheek—something he'd yearned to do in years.

"I promise, so don't be frightened anymore... of fear, or of loving me."

And for the very first time in a long, long while, Marth's lips broadened into the healthiest, most genuine smile Link had ever seen him muster.

He fell head over heels all over again. The prince lightly squeezed him tighter...

"I'll be the best lover I can possibly be—_uhm!_ T-That is... if you'd... _want _to be... my lover—"

"—YES!" Link anxiously blared, his irises shining and twinkling like the blue-white dwarfs in the heavens, but steadily lowered his tone and the amount of energy poured into his answer. He was just a wee bit overexcited, or maybe that was an understatement. Marth simply adored the reaction despite that it nearly scared the ghost out of him.

"Umm... I—what I meant to say was... _yes_. Yes, I would... be more than happy to be your lover, Prince Marth. More than happy."

Link could barely refrain from letting his inner emotions shine through...! He couldn't recall another time where he'd felt so happy! Prince Marth was just as joyous! He'd defeated—_pummeled_ upon—his darkest fears, he'd confessed to the man he's loved for what seemed like centuries, and he'd finally gotten the opportunity to accomplish one of the few dreams he had never envisioned he'd have the will to do.

There was only one more thing left to do!

"_Ah!_ Before it slips my mind—"

Prince Marth Lowell elegantly and graciously descend upon his right knee, taking with him the sweet hand of the blonde's... and Link's breath. He was immobilized, incapable of producing not a sound...

_What's this...?_

"—Will you, Link, accept me as your escort to this forthcoming spring ball?"

...This is something he'd fantasized just recently. Marth bowing to him like this, holding his hand... His eyes glittered just right, and his lips pouted as sweet as they'd ever been. For him, it was like being proposed to... minus the ring.

So what was his answer?

Link nodded so hard his head could fall right off.

"Yes...! I accept!"

This reply pleased the prince... Just to see that beautiful smile on his face and the unfamiliar hype in his voice...

He should've given him this long ago. It did not stop there, though. Link was given an added treat. Marth did one of those cheesy, princely things... you know, the gestures princes do in those sappy, unreal fairytales.

He smirked happily, closed his eyes, and pressed his cold, smooth lips onto Link's hand, sowing his precious kiss. The noble lifted himself from the floor without letting go. Link had to relearn how to breathe properly. Though the surprise was a little cheesy, it would be something that he absolutely swooned over for the rest of his life.

"Then it shall be. You and I will attend the ball... _together_."

"This... _this isn't happening_... None of this is. I'm... _I'm dreaming_. I just... _dozed away at the table..._"

"And I fell asleep while reading a very good book... No, Link. I assure you, you are not dreaming. Would you like me to pinch you?"

A cute giggle escaped the Hylian's lips, but things got a little serious once Prince Marth snaked his arms about Link's midsection, his eyes projecting one intent. Link blinked at this sudden persona change, the increasingly vanishing space left between their noses, and the heated, sensual passion swirling about in their penetrated bubbles.

"_Or would you rather I kiss you...?_"

_Hells yeah, _Link wished to say, but words failed him as the finest of rosy lips gaped at him blank in the face. His cheeks sparked with a dangerous heat...

"I owe you a much proper kiss, besides. Perhaps I may try again?"

Oh, Link didn't have a problem with that. Marth had practically stolen his first kiss, anyway... but even so, why was he feeling those... first kiss tingles? Those painless yet sensible jolts of sensuality? It was as if Marth hadn't kissed him at all! Well, the _calm _Marth hadn't.

Link's shins buckled and swayed, his voice box died, his arms felt like damp towels, which were heavy to lift... the only useful part of him being his eyesight. He felt like he was on cloud nine... _first class_.

Their eyes met for the millionth time, Marth's hazy, Link's displaying an entertaining jumble of emotions. They'd grow more complex until the timeless second those lips would come to caress his in every which way that'd bring him unfathomable pleasure. And if the blonde couldn't appear and become more vulnerable, a warm, open, seducing hand slipped quietly from the small of his quaking back, inched up his spine, and finally ended its journey at the nape of his neck, burying his fingers in the blonde hair just above it. Link submitted to the prince's delicious touch, veiled his heavy eyes, and waited earnestly for the prince's kiss...

Silence surrounded the couple, the invisible sound screaming in Link's ears as a lifetime passed beyond his head... or maybe Link was exaggerating. He felt like he'd been waiting for his lips to greet his for forever and a day. So that's what they mean by "the quiet before the storm". A period of anxiousness, worry, uncertainty... But two seconds following the closing of his eyes, Marth brought the gap to an immediate end and sealed each and every one his golden promises with a careful, suspenseful kiss to Link's loose, anticipating lips...

Time stopped.

A strenuous moan snuck out somehow, Link melting and clinging desperately onto the other male's blouse like sandwich wrap for support. They soaked in this heavenly bliss. Prince Marth took note of everything: the adorable whine and Link's fluttering eyelashes, the relaxed and trusting look on his face, the flavor of his lips, the heart that nearly wanted to hammer his chest open... Link must've been truly in a world of exhilaration... he'd never met a person who could just zap the strength out of him in one, simple action.

It's the fate of every birthed kiss, and although it seemed that it would last for an eternity, their blessed kiss drew to an amazing close. Simultaneously, the two departed from one another's lips for their desire of oxygen. Link rested his forehead on the prince's, closing his eyes to take a breather and drink in the current predicament and all that had happened in that short amount of time. This breather was short lived, though, Marth's patience wearing very, very thin. He'd gotten a hefty, delectable sample of Link, and his insatiable flesh urged, pleaded, _commanded _for more of it.

It became a hassle just to open his eyes—Link's strength taking its sweet time to come back into him—but he wore the grandest of smiles once they revealed themselves. That's the kiss he'd count as his very first, and he could not have better imagined how it would be. How magical, sensual, and frightening it felt all at once.

And that was just a simple kiss. He and Marth had much more to do, but taking baby steps was always best...

But surely this isn't where it'd stop. He certainly wanted to taste a little more of his royal love... to _feel_ more.

While Marth wallowed aimlessly in his trance, Link felt the courage bubble up from the abyss of his gut, propped himself up on his toes, tightened his clutches on his prince's blouse, and used this strength, flicking his tongue across his mate's bottom lip. He didn't know what he was doing, really. He did know that he wanted to deepen the kiss with Marth—or to make out with him, plainly put—but he didn't know how to make that happen. Pit and Ike made it seem effortless, so if they could do it, then so can he, right? The noble swordsman—though taken aback a little—responded to the tissue just as eagerly, relentlessly returning the gesture with a similar, yet powerful action. Sparks fizzed in the air when their tongues made contact, Link shuddering in ecstasy.

"_Mmmmn_~"

Marth was thoroughly amused by the syrupy mewl—gently using his muscle to dig farther into Link's sweet, hot mouth—deepening their lovely lip lock which roused more cries of cuteness from the shorter man. Without breaking their kiss, the prince led him to the wall he'd pinned him to some minutes earlier. He pressed his body against it a second time, combing through his golden, spiked hair, massaging his scalp whilst tugging on his locks to reel more of his timid muscle into his mouth.

Link was being robbed of his conscious and air. His heart rate was through the roof and if it weren't for the wall behind him, he'd probably fall out. To keep leverage, he curled his left leg about Marth's right with as many spirals as a corkscrew, which not only helped him balance, but it brought them unbelievably closer.

He gasped for air in between kisses, but not enough of it was getting to his brain, leaving him unbearably lightheaded... or was it Marth's expert strokes to his tongue that made him woozy?

Well, he'd find out shortly... or more like in five seconds.

Abruptly, a shrill alerted the two men, Link jerking Marth's head to see that the ruckus was all about. Unhappy, thick clouds of char-colored smoke from the forgotten, silver pot on the stove stretched for the smoke detector.

_The abandoned stew! _

"_Shit!_" Link exclaimed, bolting into his kitchen for his now overcooked concoction, Prince Marth left flexing his eyebrows, "Uh!! Ex-Excuse me!"

Firstly, that noise _had _to stop. Sounds were amplified ten times more with ears like his compared to those with "normal" ears. Link salvaged a handy magazine and used it was a fan to free the choking, wailing device of the smoke. In this situation, this was an area that he was a little "vertically challenged" in. The detector suspended a few feet higher than he, and so he had to add in a jump or two in order to reach it successfully. But he wasn't having much luck.

Marth noticed this and decided to be a gentleman and assist his trouble loved.

"Please, allow me," the prince generously offered, gently grabbing the magazine. Link reddened at his kindness, denying his offer almost immediately, "Oh no, you don't have to do anything. I-I got it!" the blonde yelled over the screaming device.

"Link, it is okay. I will take care of the smoke; I don't want you inhaling too much of it. I think you should tend to that pot!"

It was a strategic move: destroying the source. After all, Marth was blessed with the gift of being an above-average height. He'd be more likely of getting the job done than he would, definitely.

"Alright!" Link released the notebook and began his part, slipping on some oven mitts for extra caution, grabbing the metallic handles on either side of the stew pot and dumping its ruined contents into the sink. The shrill ceased to exist in his dorm, Marth lulling the sensitive alarm back to a peaceful sleep, his shirt the filter to protect him from breathing the lung-binding fumes.

"_I'm sorry_," Link quietly apologized, mindfully rinsing his pot. But he was _actually_ sorry that he had to interrupt his smooch.

"Oh no! There is nothing to apologize for. We're alright, aren't we. Although I would like to ask what it is that you were cooking if you do not mind."

"It was supposed to be my dinner: beef stew. But... you know... I sorta... _forgot_ about it."

Marth simpered; surely his "forgetfulness" had something to do with him.

"Were they not making dinner downstairs?"

"Yeah, they made dinner. But the beef stew they'd prepared wasn't looking all that good to me. So I went into my kitchen, got out a few things, and started to make some of my own. As you can see, that didn't go so well..."

The grinning prince joined him by the sink, "Well I suppose I can say that I'm glad I did not have dinner yet."

"Hm? You haven't eaten?"

"No..." Marth caressed his stomach, "...and I've gotten quite the appetite now."

"Is that so...? Then um... why don't you stay over? _I could... whip something up really quick..._" Link fumbled with his fingers, an angry blush overtaking his face,_ "...or not... _if you don't wanna stay..._ I mean, _you don't_ have _to._ And I'm not trying to make you or anything, if that's what you're thinking._.._ but I would like if you did stay over..._"

Link's incessant rambling roused a chuckle out of the fair-haired man, "Save your breath. Why of course I would like to stay!" Prince Marth stated with assurance, swathing his arms about his lover's waist, "What's better than spending an evening meal with the one you love?! I don't mind staying, as long as you do not turn the entire mansion into ashes."

"Hey! That wasn't _all _my fault!"

"I know, I know... I was just teasing, darling."

Link's wide, beady, marble-blue orbs flickered up into his lover's eyes, his cheeks—tickled pink—frequently pecked by his long lashes and his lips sensibly begging to be kissed...

"_Darling"... _He called him "darling".

The very word made his heart do turbulent cartwheels.

"Are you sure I am not dreaming...? It certainly feels like one," he muttered, blinking, not knowing that he was entrancing Marth with his flirtatious eyelashes. The noble gave him the upmost sweetest smile he could give.

"I agree with you, Link, today has had this peculiar feel to it. Well, in case we are dreaming, let's enjoy ourselves while we're in it."

Link chortled, nodding as he set both his sweaty palms onto the beautiful prince's chest, hopped on his toes once more and heedfully locked lips with his new lover's.

Yes, he was right. If this was indeed a dream, he was going to make the most of it.

"_I thank you for not giving up on me_," said the prince, placing a few, rebel strands of blonde hair behind his pointy appendages.

"The same goes for you..." Link bowed, "You could certainly have almost anyone you could want... _It makes me wonder why you would choose me..._"

"You do not think you are special...?"

Link chuckled sadly, "_Um_... special enough to be loved by someone like you? Then no... _Not really_."

...Prince Marth frowned at this statement. He saw so much beauty in the man before him, so much passion and talent. But why couldn't Link see it, too? Sure, there were others that were more appealing to look at with the eyes. They dotted all their "I"s and crossed every "T", but inside, they were just about as dumb as a pile of rocks. They were rotten and cruel... and did not care about anyone else besides themselves. Marth did not like people like that. And so he comes across Link who has the whole package: looks, talent, a likeable personality, and compassion. Yet he compared himself to the individuals that he disliked and deemed himself unworthy of his love.

He was _different._ Did he not like being different?

"_Link..._"

Link gradually brought his head up; Marth flashed him a courteous smile.

"Though you are a little different, that does not make you lesser than anyone else here, or anyone in the world. You are gifted, graceful, kind and beautiful. I love you for those very reasons, and ultimately, I love you just the way you are. Don't you dare forget that."

Link blinked slowly... That was_ deep_. Never had he heard such words... He'd never never had he felt so loved in his life, and never had he felt so lucky and so treasured by another individual—_a man_—much less by this perfect, prince charming. Just that mere fact had him tingling in his white slippers and just about everywhere else...

"_Wow..._ Thanks Marth..."

"You're welcome, love."

Link's lips were swept up into a mind-demolishing kiss...

He could shamelessly say, without a blemish to his manhood, that he felt like a liberated princess in the strong, firm arms of this prince.

* * *

Told you it was sappy.

And that's just how I like it.

Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points:

(1): _I_ think Princess Daisy is less feminine than Princess Peach. She gives off that vibe... Like... if Daisy was being kidnapped by Bowser and Luigi had to rescue her (they seriously need to make a game like that, I would buy it), I think she would've given him a good fight before being easily swept up. Peach is strong, too, though, in spite of her defenselessness (and damn is that a long word), but that still does not change the fact that she's my favorite female, Mario Bros. character~!

(2): "Camaraderie". That word bugs me. It looks _nothing_ like it is pronounced. _Cah-mah-rah-dur-ree_. I want to spell it like "Comradory" simply because of the word "comrade" and how it's spelled and said, but the ABC Check-thingy says it's not right. I had to look in _five_ dictionaries to see if I had spelled it correctly and used it in the right context—which I seldom do. It just makes my eye twitch whenever I look at it...

...

Yes, there's a reason why it's called "Hokage's (_meaningless_) Points".

Because they are meaningless 99.9 percent of the time.

Um... On a far different note, Prince Marth and Link shall go to the spring ball together! Meaning one more chapter and this fic will be completed! "Aw, already?" Yes, I'm sad about it, too. But it _will_ go out with a "bang". Quite a few "bangs" actually, fu fu... hence the M rating.

Get it?

Bangs?

M rating?

...

......

My jokes are worthy of the death sentence. And I ramble far too much.

Anyway, hopefully the portrayals of the characters are down-pat... or somewhat accurate.

I truly do my best.

I shall reply reviews now...

**Flock o' Seagulls: **Why thank you, Seagulls-chan! (and Happy Belated Birthday, too!! :D -throws sparkling confetti and blows on one of those blowy-thingies-) -wipes forehead- _Great..._ I'm glad that the poem wasn't a complete disaster (and hopefully the ones in this chapter aren't either. Suicidal poems? xD) Ah, yes... Hokage knows a little something about rejection... -looks around- ...or maybe a lot. Let's just say I know how Link feels personally. _There._ That way I don't seem like a complete loser at love.

**NanaeTsuki: **NANAE iofsdfjdpifsdfju4r9054053459034!! -bows- Forgive me, goddess of amazing art, for the lateness. It takes me a while to think up of all the yumminess in all the chapters that I write so that they will be awesome! xD I'm seriously, like, ecstatic that you like the fic!! I was worrying a bit, wondering if Marth was too heartless, or if Link was too sweet. Or if that the poem was over the edge or too long or sappy or stupid and etc. But you like it! :DDD Happiness all around! If I didn't make it clear enough, they will finally sex each other in the next chapter! I'm nervous about it. Now, the IkeXLink fan art... -heart explodes once more- THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH!! I am complete now. Very much complete xD

**The Mad Joker: **Why must I always make Link sweet, you ask? Because he is the ultimate uke (to me) and ukes (well... most of the time) are irresistibly sweet and adorable. And it fits Link perfectly! lD Probably not a logical reason, but... hey. Works for me! _Wee!_ You really like this?! I honestly thought I failed at it... but maybe not. I sincerely thank you, Joker-chan, for your endless, kind reviews! (You're one of my favorite reviewers ever, you know -hands you honorary "Hokage's Favorite Reviewer" badge- But don't brag about it too much. I'd like to keep my head... -peers around-)

**shadowdarknut: **Well I'm glad I continued it (and of course I would)... so you won't have to hunt me down! xD Well, now they certainly know that they love each other, yes?! (Pickle...? O.o) Thanks for reviewing, Nut-san! I shall give you a cookie! A _dark_ cookie, ho ho -gives dark chocolate cookie-

**Lunar Guardian: **I love stories about best friends liking each other in the end. There's something sweet about them... I don't know. It's just me again. IkeXLink is my number one obsession in the SSB fandom~ Second is... I would say IkeXPit (-hides from Midnight-) only when Ike's not raping him.

**Mysticalgems: **Welly well! I'm overjoyed that you and your sister like it! I reply reviews, yes, like this, though. I like this way~ :D And I also give cookies to new reviewers! -hands cookies to Gem-san- Give one to your sister, too! :D

.............

Well, I guess this means I have to get working on writing the third chapter soon. Hopefully it will arrive before school starts up again...

Summer reading bites.

_Hard._

I promise to get it to you one way or another, Nanae!

-bows-

_Gracias_ to you all!

I genuinely appreciate your inspiring support!

C:

Much Love,

HokageAkamaru


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